Podcast: Scouting Academy Director Dan Hatman offers NFL Draft insight

With the 2016 NFL Draft right around the corner, the latest Big Blue Chat podcast (featuring Pat Traina of Bleacher Report and Inside Football as well as yours truly) is heavy on draft talk. We had the perfect guest this week to discuss how teams like the New York Giants prepare for the draft and go about selecting players, Scouting Academy Director Dan Hatman.

Hatman, who has worked in the scouting departments of both the Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, has first-hand knowledge of how teams prepare, how they set value, and how they make decisions. Among the topics we discussed:

• How teams set their draft boards.
• How long the Giants might be able to wait if they want an offensive tackle or a pass rusher in the draft.
• The idea that the Giants will take a defensive player no matter what in the first round.
• How positional value impacts when players are drafted.
• The idea of drafting Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd with the 10th pick.

We talked about all of those things and more with Hatman. We also discussed GM Jerry Reese's Thursday remarks, as well as the upcoming voluntary mini-camp. Give the show a listen.